Euridice
by Joyann Melody
Summary: Farve's trip to the Red Planet.
1. Part 1 The Begining

EURIDICE  
  
Part One  
  
Author: Joyann (joyann@psnw.com)  
  
Disclaimer: Characters belong to Total Recall 2070 (Alliance/Atlantis)  
  
Rated: PG  
  
Feedbacks: send e-mail to author, please.  
  
The plasma drive engines pulsed softly. Some found the rhythmic sound soothing, while others were annoyed by the incessant drone. He had never really noticed it before. Until now it had seemed merely a necessary mechanical noise, easily tuned out as were so many others. But now sitting here alone, the sound intruded on his private thoughts. The low thrumming seemed to come from every direction at once. Soft and steady like a heartbeat. A heartbeat he did not have. His circulation was performed with great efficiency by a series of microscopic turbines. The Maker had considered including a circuit to mimic the sound, but such a thing would have served only to deceive. To seem to be human. There would be no need for deception by his magnificent creation. He did not realize how necessary deception was in Ian Farve's everyday existence.  
  
Farve leaned back in his plush, high backed seat. This was not necessary for his comfort but in his study of humans he had learned it was a common posture and wished to blend in with the other passengers.  
  
He was on his way to a meeting with an unknown party. A message had come by anonymous eComm a few days before. It specified a meeting in the domed industrial complex of Euridice in the southern Martian highlands. Euridice was one of the oldest domed factory cities on Mars, being almost entirely devoted to mining and ore processing. The anonymous sender had promised information about top secret programs involving UberBraun, in exchange for CPB protection. The meeting place was not given only the promise of more information when he arrived on Mars. Hume was tied up in court on an extortion case. Farve's presence was not required and he was to be reassigned until David had finished his testimony. When Ehrenthal had showed them the message, something in the phrasing had struck Farve. He could not have explained what. Something familiar but not remembered. Something he was not supposed to remember. Related to the Maker he was not supposed to remember. Ian readily volunteered to  
take the17 hour trip to Mars to check out the message. The transport was to depart Friday night and arrive Saturday afternoon in Euridice. The meeting was to take place at Saturday at 9:30pm local time. None of the detectives wanted to spend their weekend on Mars unless the trip included a visit to one of the famed Martian pleasure domes. It would certainly have embarrassed Farve had he known why many of the other officers grinned when he volunteered for the assignment. Hume thought it best to let this one go. Although, he secretly thought it might do Farve some good.  
  
The huge jump station seemed all out of proportion for a mining colony with a population of 150,000 humans and 50,00 androids. Until Ian realized almost all the traffic consisted of ore barges and related shipments. Passenger transports were but a tiny fraction of the comings and goings at this colossal port. Barges hauling iron, copper and aluminum ran 24.6 hours a day delivering raw ore to orbiting processing stations. From there the refined ore was sent via heavy transport to a resource poor Earth. A good portion of the mining work was done by industrial Epsilon class androids. The Epsilon class was a stripped down, souped up version of the Deltas. They were used for heavy work in the dangerous lower sections of the mines. Digging and blasting in the often unpressurized tunnels was far too dangerous for human workers. Epsilons (E's) were built on the basic humanoid model used for all androids, but the likeness ended there. Whereas androids had always been built with ease  
of human interaction in mind, E's were totally lacking in the social graces. All the extras had been sacrificed for economy and ease of repair. The most striking visible difference being the lack of hair and fingernails. Only the head and hands were covered with synth skin, the remaining body was encased in a gray polymer alloy and hidden under nondescript coveralls. All had the appearance of males because they were built with the same basic, interchangeable parts. The faces changed only when a new model was produced. They could speak, although it was rarely required. Most commands and information were exchanged through an internal data link. E's were specially designed and built for Martian facilities. They were outlawed on Earth, where too many feared a replay of the Warrior class massacres.  
  
Farve had never seen an Epsilon android and his curiosity was intense. He had, of course, studied their plans along with all of the other android classes. But as he had recently learned, education was not the same as experience. He approached a lone E waiting near the departure gate. Farve politely excused himself and asked for directions to the main rail terminal. After a moment, during which Farve wondered if he would get a response at all, the E turned toward him. He (It?) pointed toward the back of the station, "Follow the green mark on the floor, turn left at the ticket counter, proceed 10 meters". He did not look at Farve and spoke stiffly, as if not used to the process. Farve found the encounter informative but also disturbing. The Epsilon had no expression, no spark, no awareness. Other androids emulated these things even if they did not truly possess them. Was he really of the same stock as that machine? Most humans thought so. The idea further disturbed him. The  
Epsilon seemed as different from himself as a human was from an automated loader. He hurried away. Ian emerged from the cavernous jump station into the Martian evening. He looked back at the string of barges and loaders waiting their turn to dock. The lights of the orbiting ore processing facility were clearly visible in the fading light. Sunset lit the sky with every shade of red, orange and pink. The great ribbed arms of the dome arched across the sky, covering the five square mile city complex. The beautiful view was rapidly disappearing as the electrostatic dome was tuned to an opaque frequency to conserve the heat of the day.  
  
There was a room reserved in a business hotel considered fairly secure by the CBP. However, David had pulled Ian aside after the meeting and whispered that it was not a good idea for everyone to know where he was going to be. Farve choose a small rooming house on the far outer ring of the complex. Most of the tenants were transient miners, so one new face would not be noticed. The room was shabby but clean. It would serve his purposes. He paid with a credit chit bought from a vending machine at the jump station. Ian inspected the room and found no listening devices or video feeds. He required a place to safeguard whatever person or information he gleaned from the meeting until he could catch a transport back to Earth. He walked the quite streets toward the downtown area, searching for a public eComm terminal. EComm was easy to trace so he choose one some distance from the hotel. He left messages on the CBP service for Eranthal and David, reporting his safe arrival. No need  
to bother them at home unless he had news.  
  
Following the directions given in the message, he logged onto CorNet and waited to be contacted. Within a few moments he received a brief note containing only directions to an old storage facility on the lower level of the underground tunnels. The link was severed before he could ask any questions. A search for info on the tunnels, yeilded little. A map of the tunnels and storage areas was all he could find. A note at the end of the map stated, "Not complete for all sections. Occasionally used for public gatherings". The underground was made up entirely of tapped out miming tunnels from earlier digs. The high cost of excavation made these empty tunnels useful as storage areas, maintenance bays and offices. Anyone with mining experience knew that ore containing veins of rock never ran straight and true. As a result, the tunnels followed no discernable pattern. Long stretches of straight tunnel were rare. Mainly the straight parts were interrupted with sharp turns or  
continuous corkscrews of turns leading up or down. Often tunnels would veer sharply left or right and split into two or three before coming to a dead end. There were room size chambers, cavernous halls and passages barely large enough for a man. The situation made Ian wary about a possible trap, but he had no choice. The possibility of learning any information about his Maker pushed him onward.  
  
As Ian made his way toward the meeting place he thought about what the next hours would bring. Would he find out anything about his maker? About himself? The questions zinged throughout his positronic mind, bouncing around his neural net again and again. Why was he here? Did he have a purpose? Did the maker have a plan or was he just an experiment? What was he supposed to do? Oh well, Ian sighed, another habit he had picked up from David. David, his friend, his partner, the person he cared about most. He missed having David to depend on. Someone to defer to if a situation became strange or confusing. He was sometimes frustrated when David would not fully explain something to him, but he always belived David wanted the best for him. He descended into the underground through a public entrance. Suddenly he understood why the streets were so empty. There were hundreds of people milling in the brightly lit corridors. Colored lights mixed with a dozen kinds of synth pop and techno  
music as dancers spilled out into the narrow streets from the many bars and rave halls. Throngs crowded around the countless bars and shops. Vendors hawked everything from food to black market Recall disks. This was the only kind of night life available in Euridice. Most forms of recreation were banned by the puritanical CEO of the mining company. His personal philosophy was, "Work is good for the soul and recreation takes the mind away from work".  
  
But his wishes hardly mattered, most of what went on here was illegal as well as immoral. Ian hurried along the crowded street. He stepped into a dark side tunnel away from the revelry. This led to several smaller openings branching off from the main tunnel. Each time he followed the directions to the letter. The passageway turned and dipped and narrowed until he reached a rough hallway with a low ceiling. The last signs of recent habitation had passed some time ago. It was then he realized he had passed into an area not charted on the map. These tunnels probably dated back to the first excavations in 2013, a good hiding place for someone. He surveyed the dark hallway and knew he must proceed. After several yards he noticed a shallow depression set into the wall. Possibly some kind of doorway, but how to open it? Along the corridor were many more doors. Each door was as anonymous as the first, with no visible means of entry. Farther along the hallway he came to a door marked  
with a pattern of some kind of electrical circuitry. He ran a finger over the mark. It was only painted on, and recently too. He recognized the mark, but again he could not have explained why.  
  
Ian listened carefully at the door. There was a faint stirring inside. In the dim light he felt the surface trying to find an opening. As he raised his fist to bang on the door, it flew open. Farve stepped back in surprise. He was looking down at a small Chinese man. The man spoke something in an ancient Cantonese dialect. Ian just stared at him for the moment it took to register what he had heard. The words were unfamiliar, as they bore little resemblance to modern Chinese. "Have patience in a moment of anger...." The reply, in the same dead language, came unbidden from Ian's lips. He knew it was the correct answer, more of an instinct than conscious thought. "And you will escape a hundred days of sorrow." The man shut the door most of the way. Ian heard a harsh voice call out in heavily accented English, "Bring her!". Ian hesitated, unsure how to proceed. Moments later a young woman was shoved through the door. The small man pushed a black knapsack at Farve. He started to  
shut the door. Bewildered, Farve held the door open, "Wait!". He tried to explain about the meeting. "You are the andy man, right?", Farve nodded. "They took Dr. Latham last night, They are looking for her too. She can't stay here. You must take her and go!" "Take her where?", but Ian was only speaking to the closed door. He retrieved the fallen bag and turned to face the girl. But she was nowhere to be seen. 


	2. Part 2

Euridice  
  
Part 2  
  
Author: Joyann (joyann@psnw.com)  
  
Disclaimer: Read part 1.  
  
Rated: PG  
  
After some moments, he located her huddled in a shallow doorway farther along the corridor. He quietly surveyed the girl and realized they had met before. She was the daughter of Dr. Felix Latham. She had been held against her will and tortured to force Dr. Latham to work for an underground group. A group with ties to the Consortium, the Assessors Office and god knew who else. The CPB has been responsible for rescuing them several months ago. After that father and daughter had gone into hiding. They did not trust the protection offered by the CPB. He wondered how they had ended up in an off planet back water like this.  
  
"Anna?" He lightly touched her shoulder. "Are you injured?" She flinched at his touch. He could see she was shaking. Thought whether it was from cold or fear he did not know. The moisture from her breath sparkled in the dim light, as it formed ice crystals on the tunnel walls. "Anna, I'm not going to hurt you. It's Detective Farve, do you remember me?" He had seen her only a once in the confusion of the rescue. They had departed before Ian had any time to speak with Dr. Latham. He knew the Dr. had participated in his creation. There were so many questions, so much he wanted to learn. "I was supposed to meet with someone here tonight. Was it Dr. Latham?"  
  
At the mention of her father she turned to him. "Ian?", she whispered. Her eyes were huge, pupils dilated to the maximum. It was obvious she had been sedated with something. "Can you walk? We need to go." He helped her to stand. Her shaking became more pronounced. The running pants and tee shirt she wore were inadequate in the frigid tunnels. He wrapped her in his overcoat. Another item he owned for the sake of blending in with the crowd. The sound of several muffled thuds echoed down the hallway. It was not a laser weapon, something else. The thumps came again, closer this time. An alloy projectile gun, he was sure. An illegal weapon. The possession of illegal weapons separated the average criminal from seriously dangerous people. The exorbitant cost put them out of range of all but the wealthiest and the price often included the blood of whoever was sent to purchase one. Projectile weapons were used by assassins, drug dealers and members of the Eastern Cartel. None of whom  
he wished to deal with at the moment.  
  
Ian pulled her with him as he ran. They squeezed into a small branch off the main tunnel. Barely more than a fissure in the rock but it was dark and deep enough to hide them for a moment. Several pairs of feet ran past. Voices shouted, "The girl, did you see the girl?" "She was with the old man. He said she left with another man." Another voice, "Go back! Find out where they are. If he won't tell you, shoot him!" The noises faded away as Ian peered out of their hiding place. He had no weapon, he had surrendered it at the jump station. Private citizens were not permitted to carry weapons on Mars. At the moment that was all he was considered. The CPB had no jurisdiction here, the Consortium had seen to that. He pulled Anna up and hurried her ahead. They disappeared down the first dark side tunnel they came to. Ian desperately wished he knew where they were going.  
  
All he could hope was that their pursuers did not know this maze any better than he did. He could see his was well enough in the feeble light. Better than the average human. Synthetic photo reactive sensors came in handy sometimes. Anna was still too drugged to be aware of her surroundings as he helped her through the darkness. Soon they reached a three way split in the passage way. He sat Anna on a pile of rubble while he listened at each opening for the slightest sound. The first two yielded nothing but silence. From the last came a faint vibration, felt more that heard. "Anna, Anna please get up we have to go." Her delicate face was tipped back against the wall, eyes closed, she was out cold. He hoped it was the effect of the drug and nothing more serious. He sat for a moment to gather his thoughts. CPB training had not prepared him for a situation like this.  
  
He feared going deeper into the silent tunnels. They might go on for miles with no way out. He could survive for a long time in this place but she could not. Even now her body temperature was dropping. His skin was warm to the touch but his body did not give off any heat. He had to find a source of warmth. The vibrations were almost certainly caused by distant mining activity. Which meant surface access and maybe a way out. However, it came with the risk of detection by mine security. They would deal with that problem later. He had to find a place where she could rest in safety. He carried her into the last tunnel. After walking for well over an hour the noise and vibration began to grow louder.  
  
A weak glow coming from a branch off the main passage attracted his attention. It illuminated the entrance to a long unused emergency workers shelter. A concrete reinforced bunker deep underground. These shelters provided emergency oxygen and food in case of a cave in or catastrophic loss of pressure. The small room was filthy from years of dust and neglect, but it would do just fine. Ian laid Anna on one of the fold out cots and covered her with a sleeping bag that had certainly seen better days. A survey of the meager supplies turned up several pouches of sterilized water, 2 cans of protein paste, a pile of dirty coveralls and a tiny radiant heater. Just one problem, was there were no working power cells to be found. After a fruitless search, Ian had to dismantle the beacon light over the door, leaving them in total darkness. He fumbled with the power cell and the heater finally began to work. It provided much needed warmth and even a dim light. It was better than nothing.  
Anna tossed in her sleep and cried out a few times. From his cot by the door, he watched over her. He could not imagine what she had been through. They had held her captive, in total isolation for three months. She had not recovered from the shock of her fathers disappearance, when several weeks later she was dragged from her dorm room in the middle of the night. He had proven most resistant to their forms of persuasion. So other means were found to secure the cooperation of Dr. Felix Latham, eminent neurosurgeon and expert in bio-neural cybernetic technology.  
  
Farve settled in for a long wait. She needed the rest and given enough time, perhaps their pursuers would go looking elsewhere. He decided to use this time to run a full internal scan and diagnostic. This was done occasionally when he had several hours of unproductive time. A shrill scream brought Ian to his feet. The heater had gone out, they were in total blackness and Anna was screaming. "Anna, what's wrong?" He reached into the dark, searching for intruders. His mind raced. Armed men had come for them! "Anna?" He fumbled in the dark, searching the cot for her. She was backed into the far corner. He realized no one was there. Nobody had invaded their small sanctuary. He found her arm and pulled her against him and clamped his hand over her mouth. "Be quiet they will hear you!" "Anna, it's Ian Farve from the CPB. Do you remember how you got here?" "Where is here?" "An emergency shelter in the mining tunnels. You are safe here. What do you remember?" "I was with Mr. Cho and  
his family. Someone was at the door, they were all afraid... That was you?"  
  
He nodded. "Daddy was not there. I was cold. There were men with guns. How did we get here?" "You were unconscious, I carried you." With some embarrassment he realized he was still holding her tightly against him. He released her and rose from the cot. "Wait, don't go." She called out, "Where are you going?" She found his hand in the dark and held it tightly in both of hers. She spoke words of the same archaic Chinese dialect. "If a man does only what is required of him, he is a slave." Again the answer came to Ian even thought he did not understand the actual words. "If a man does more than is required of him, he is a free man." He marveled at her knowing exactly what he was going to say. It was probably better that she could not see his puzzled expression. "Don't worry, I will fix the heater and then you can explain how I can suddenly speak ancient Cantonese."  
  
She sat sipping a packet of stale water and staring into the flickering light from the tiny heater. She was curled up in the sleeping bag and leaning against Ian. He seemed a little uncomfortable with the arrangement but did not complain. Three months in solitary confinement had left her craving human contact. It didn't matter that he wasn't human. "It was daddy's idea , he added his favorite quotations into your basic neural programming as a kind of password. In case he ever needed to know what, or who, had become of his work. He developed the major portion of your neural network interface but he didn't know what would become of the work he had done. He never saw the completed prototype until you met several months ago. Daddy had a feeling about you. He said that if things got bad I could trust you. He gave Mr. Cho orders to send me with you if he didn't return."  
  
"How did he know I would come here?" She shook her head, "He just knew. Something in the message. He knew you couldn't stay away." Ian found it strange that someone knew his mind better than he did. "Daddy went out to meet a contact. Someone who could smuggle us out to one of the big tourist complexes." "When did you last see him?" "Friday night, but he never came back from the meeting. They found him." Who is they?" "The ones who held us before. Or others, it doesn't matter. Do you know how many in the Consortium would and have killed for the information daddy has?" "What about the message to come here?" "He set it up to send at a certain time." "He knew this might happen", she nodded. "When he was not back by this morning, I panicked. I knew they had captured him again. I had to look for him so I took off. Mr. Cho sent his sons to bring me back." "They sedated you?" She nodded. "They were already looking for me. As long as I'm safe daddy won't cooperate with them." "I'll  
do everything I can to find Dr. Latham but we have to get out of here. If we can get to the jump station we will be safe on a transport." "No we can't! They will be watching. Daddy was trying to get us transportation to Olympus." "The recreation facility?", he asked.  
  
She laughed, "The pleasure dome. They have a population of over one million plus thousands of tourists. It will be easy to get lost there." "It seems to me we are already lost." She smiled, "I mean to hide out, until we can get a transport back to Earth. I need to reach Jarred Wong, daddy's contact in Olympus." "Do you trust him?" "Oh yes, Mr. Wong is one of daddy's oldest friends." "Jarred Wong, head of the Takamashi crime family? He is rumored to be one of the most powerful lieutenants in the Eastern Syndicate." "That's him. Daddy saved his son's life years ago and they have been close ever since. Who better to piss off the Consortium than a member of the Eastern Syndicate?" "I believe the Eastern Syndicate is a most dangerous organization. Are you sure Dr. Latham trusted them with his life?" "Not just his life but mine as well. We can't trust the local militia. Mr. Wong can't help us until we get outside the city. It's too tightly controlled for his people to get in. Can  
you contact the CPB?" "There is no secure method of transmission from this distance." "Will they come looking for you?" This caught him off guard. Would they come looking for him? CPB policy required a search for missing officers. But was he considered an actual officer? He had always skirted the issue of his status, at work as well as in the world. He had never pressed for an answer because for one thing, his existence was supposed to be a secret, and second he already knew the legal answer. To those who didn't know his true nature he was considered a person, maybe not like any other, but a person nonetheless. It was those who knew the truth that could cause problems. Under the law androids did not have rights. They were not people but simply property. "I don't know." 


	3. Part 3

Euridice  
  
Part 3  
  
Author: Joyann (joyann@psnw.com)  
  
Disclaimer: Read part 1  
  
Rated: PG  
  
"What time is it?" "4:37 am local time." "What are we going to do? The morning shift starts inthe mine at 6am." "Does no one work at night?" "The night shift is all androids. The two day shifts have people but Euridice can't support enough workers for all three shifts." Ian looked at her curiously, "You are well versed in the habits of miners." She laughed, "We are not the first people to hide out down here. Mr. Cho's family are here with out any visas. They know its best to come and go when there isn't anyone around to be curious." "The Martian Immigration Agency needs workers. Why were they not accepted?" "The Agency has lots of slick advertising but most people don't know you have to pass a stringent medical exam before your application is considered. There are lots of desperate people who don't measure up genetically. So they come as tourists and don't go home.  
  
"The government tolerates this blatant disregard for the law?" "They don't like it but they mostly ignore the problem. These people provide a lot of services that aren't exactly above board but they keep the citizens and tourists happy. Every once in a while the local militia stages a raid and rounds up a lot of the unregulated workers. Some are deported but most pay a "fine" under the table and are quietly released. The govt hates not being able to regulate these people. You can't make someone pay taxes and life support fees if they don't officially exist." "So, we are going to become unregulated?" "You got it!"  
  
"We should depart before the morning shift arrives. I believe there is mining activity nearby. We can't go back to the public entrances. Can we get to the surface through the mine itself?" "I have heard of it being done but I've never seen the area myself. There is a way to the city surface and also to the outside. But there are cameras and android safety patrols."  
  
"We have a better statistical probability of success facing a few androids than a group of armed assailants." "So, we will take our chances." "I believe that's what I said." "Let's go then." She headed for the door. "Wait, are you certain of where we are going?" "Toward the noise, right? You can probably home in on that better than I can." He was still trying to get used to her treating him like a person and yet acknowledging his uniqueness at the same time. David treated him like a friend and tried his hardest to ignore the rest. Olan, on the other hand, was more interested in the workings than the sum of the parts.  
  
They knelt staring at the automated ore carrier. The huge buckets of ore were loaded in two's and three's onto on barges suspended above MagLev tracks. An Epsilon class android surveyed the process from an elevated platform where he was wired directly into the data stream. Maintenance androids or more skilled mechanics could be dispatched with only a thought. the factory machine had to keep moving. Any disruption meant huge losses as the facilities down the line stood idle until the problem was solved. The world could come to an end as long as nothing interfered with production. The whole complex was designed to function, if necessary, with no light and no heat or oxygen. A skeleton crew of androids controlled from a remote location could perform the vital functions necessary to continue production.  
  
They made their way along the elevated track toward the tiny one person lift tube. Although cramped and not terribly practical it was designed to quickly move one man through the various levels to any trouble spots. Ian lifted the safety cage and motioned her to step onto the magnetic footpads. "I'm not going by myself." "Then I will go and send the lift back for you." He stepped onto the tube platform. "You are not leaving me here either." He looked at her quizzically, "What do you suggest? This is only a one person conveyance and I do not see how we can change that fact." "We will manage, don't worry." She threw her arms around his neck and her legs around his waist and hung on.  
  
He just stood there for a moment in surprise at the position he was suddenly in. He backed up as far as possible to allow her inside the tube as he struggled to pull down the safety gate. After several minutes of shifting positions and no success, he discovered that if he held her tightly against him, she could reach behind her head and pull down the gate. The lift began to silently rise and soon the walls were just a blur. They both relaxed against the walls of tube, as much as possible anyway.  
  
Ian had never been in such close proximity to anyone before. Anna had her arms around him and leaned her head against his shoulder. She seemed perfectly contented with this position. He was in no hurry to move either. This contact was quite enjoyable for him. Aside from the occasional handshake he rarely touched anyone. He feared seeming inappropriate. He had noticed that humans were always touching each other. They thought nothing of hugging or holding hands in public. Often he wondered what it would be like to hold someone. To touch, to make contact with another soul...  
  
The baby fine hairs around her face tickled his nose. Her body was very warm and gave off a mix of scents. He could have analyzed the constituent molecules of each if he wished to. However, for the moment he was content. "Do you think it's much further?" "No, not much", he whispered. His internal sensors could register altitude and he knew there were within a few dozen feet of the surface. The lift came to a sudden and jarring stop. Neither was prepared for the jolt. Anna hit her head on the tube wall as she slid out of Ian's arms. At almost the same moment the tube door popped open. Ian had to grad for Anna to keep her from landing on the floor. They emerged into a room where dozens of androids were going about their activities. Their tube was one in a bank that stretched along the wall and out of sight. There was no sign their strange appearance was noticed by anyone.  
  
This place did not look like most people would suppose a control room to look. It was scrupulously clean but dimly lit and devoid of any blinking lights or humming circuitry. The smooth prefab walls were nearly featureless. Their plainness hid a technological masterpiece. A vast integrated system run by artificial intelligence. The system simultaneously tracked the location of tens of thousands of workers and androids, controlled everything from life support and payroll to maintenance and ore shipment. Access panels were the only break in the smooth walls. The system had its own crew of 150 working almost constantly to maintain order. All information was relayed internally direct to androids via downlink or to info terminals. Human presence was kept to a strict minimum. However, they were tolerated in the control room, since androids were often unable to grasp the intuitive knowledge necessary to fix problems quickly. The system owed almost as much to biology as it did to  
technology. Decades of patches, mends and software additions had resulted in a leviathan with a mind of its own. In its own way it was a sentient creature. Although its awareness did not extend outside the city walls.  
  
Ian and Anna quickly got out of the tube as it was starting to move again. They ducked behind a nearby stack of boxes. "How do we get out of here?" Ian raised his eyebrows, "Is there some reason I would be in possession of that information?" She frowned, "Well, I guess it's up to me then!" She grabbed his hand and hopped onto an automated supply sled as it lumbered by. They huddled behind the boxes for what seemed like an eternity as the sled made its way across the vast room. 


	4. Part 4

Euridice  
  
Part 4  
  
Author: Joyann (joyann@psnw.com)  
  
Disclaimer: Read part 1  
  
Rated: PG  
  
The sled paused as it entered a freight elevator. Farve glanced at the control panel, DOWN. He jumped from the sled and pulled Anna away just as the doors slipped shut. They found themselves in a corridor with elevators lining both sides. Voices came from around the corner. They ran, frantically searching for a place to hide. The elevator doors would not open without an Ident key. They came to the end of the hallway, there was no place to go. The voices were nearer, soon they would be seen. Just then the nearest pair of doors slid open and immediately began to close again. Stacks of boxes filled the car from floor to ceiling. Ian thrust his arm into the opening and shoved at a stack of boxes. They gave and slid back just a little, but it was enough. Ian pulled Anna after him as he quickly hopped onto a small crate. He pulled her tightly to him as the doors brushed against her shoulder blades and snapped shut. She leaned heavily against him as she caught her breath.  
  
Ian was discovering he rather liked holding her in his arms. "Are you alright? Did I hurt you?" She looked up at him. He reached up to brush the hair away from her face as he stared intently into her big brown eyes. The concern on his face touched her. He was so gentle. Not like other men she had known. But he was not at all like other men. She shook her head, she was just being silly. "I'm ok just a little tired, that's all." She buried her head against his shoulder and enjoyed the feeling of safety in his arms.  
  
They sat in a dark corner of a small store room. Anna surveyed the contents of the black bag. She had forgotten all about it. Ian had emptied the contents into the pockets of his coat while she was sleeping. There were several small packets containing $500 in local currency, 2 fake ID's, a key, cash card and a list of contact numbers. On the back of the number list was another list of words that didn't seem to mean anything. Tidalwave, Tea cup, Steam iron, Windmill ect. At the bottom of the list in her fathers handwriting, Hotel Calliope. "These must be some of Daddy's contacts, maybe they can help us. "  
  
"I will attempt to reach someone using the eComm terminal in the hotel lobby." They peeked out of a service hallway, having entered through the hotel kitchen. Luckily the hotel was just a few blocks from mining headquarters. They had waited until the change of shift and blended in with the throngs of miners and support personnel leaving the grounds. "No, you are too conspicuous. I'll go." "Anna, I don't think it is wise to..." He called after her retreating form. After a few moments of indecision, he followed. He could see the eComm terminal at the far end of the lobby from where he stood in at the hallway entrance, trying to look inconspicuous. As much as a 6"4" broad shouldered man in a filthy suit could look inconspicuous.  
  
The milling crowd partially blocked his view. The lobby decor was early techno hideous. The bold carpet and abstract furniture has seen better days. A number of scantily clad women caroused with men in various stated of intoxication. Ian realized what sort of place they had taken refuge in and edged further back into the shadows.  
  
Anna was heading back to him. She looked over her shoulder at a short burley man in a uniform. She had noticed him watching her from a nearby desk. He stepped into the crowd and headed in Anna's direction. She glanced back again before slowing her pace. Her pursuer paused to see what she was doing. There were very few women here who were not employees.  
  
Anna leisurely approached Farve with a silly grin on her face. She placed her hands on his chest and ran them down his body. Ian stepped back his mouth open in surprise. "Anna?" She pressed her body against him. As she caught his face between her hands, she whispered, "Hold still". She planted a none to gentle kiss on him..After a moment she came up for air and turned her attentions on his earlobe. Ian was so overcome he could not seem to think. His mind knew her actions were totally inappropriate given the situation but he did not care.  
  
The uniformed man turned away as if disgusted by their behavior. Security guard in a house if ill repute was not a job for someone with delicate sensibilities. She paused in her attentions, "Is he still watching us?" "Who?" Ian stared dreamily onto her eyes. "The security guard." He glanced at the crowd. The man had disappeared. "No, no he's gone."  
  
They stood outside room #573. The door was answered by a strikingly handsome young Chinese man. "The teacup is broken." It was a strange thing to say, but he was totally serious. Anna stepped forward, "The tidal wave is rising". The young man motioned them into the room. "You will be safe here until tomorrow." The door closed and he was gone before either of them could ask any questions.  
  
The room was tacky and rundown but spacious by Martian standards. The Calliope had been a good tourist hotel in its heyday. But nowadays the guests didn't have time to worry about the decor. A note lay on the bedside table. Real paper and ink, expensive but leaving no electronic trail. "At 10:35 there will be a truck from Apollo Laundry parked behind the hotel. Give the third password from the list. Wear the clothes provided"  
  
Ian sat looking at the downtown area the vague rusty pink landscape beyond the dome. The shower thrummed softly in the background. Empty take out cartons lay on the bedside table. Once again he wished David were here to give him some advice. 


	5. Part 5

Euridice  
  
Part 5  
  
Author: Joyann (joyann@psnw.com)  
  
Rated: PG-13  
  
(Disclaimer: see part 1)  
  
Ian sat in a ratty hotel chair, gazing at the deep red sky as another spectacular Martian sunset slowly bled from the sky. A rustle of terrycloth told him that Anna was finished in the bathroom. "I'm not sure if you bathe, but you can go ahead if you like. " There was no answer from the big man, 'android' she reminded herself. She knelt by his chair and placed a hand on his arm, "Ian?" "Yes?" He slowly tore his eyes from the fading death of day. He found himself staring directly into her warm brown eyes. "I could stay right here forever," He thought to himself.  
  
Since they met, she had repeatedly found herself looking into his eyes. Maybe she was trying to be sure there was really 'someone' in there. Maybe she was looking for that spark of understanding, of humanity. Now she realized it was there. Not the same as a human but not all together different either. His face was so open, almost childlike in its honesty.  
  
She could not help but feel the attraction between them. He felt it too, didn't he? She wanted a kiss but he did not touch her. She leaned closer, her breath brushing his cheek. Still he did not move. "Well here goes nothing", she thought. She placed a quick, soft kiss on his mouth. She waited for his reaction. For a moment, nothing happened. Then in the blink of an eye, as if he had suddenly made a decision, he leaned close and returned her soft kiss.  
  
She ran her fingers over the planes of his face and followed the same path with kisses. His hands pulled her soft form into his lap. "Anna" he whispered. Their lips met for a tender kiss. When they parted she was breathless. She curled herself into his lap and held him tightly. Ian clung to her as unfamiliar sensations rippled through him. His usual linear thought processes were in a jumble.  
  
They sat together and watched the last traces of sunset fade into the growing dusk. "I'm so tired", she whispered. Before she could utter another word he swept her up and carried her to the bed. He gently lay her down and turned away. "Ian?" "You get some sleep while I shower."  
  
Sometime later she woke and looked around, forgetting where she was. Ian sat in a chair near the bed. "It is early you should go back to sleep." "Why are you sitting there?" "I was watching you sleep. I do not fully understand the sleeping experience. Is it pleasurable for humans?" "What? Ask me sometime when I'm awake. You want to know more about sleep? Come here." She reached for his hand. "Lay down next to me." She scrunched her back against him. It felt good to know someone was there, besides she could not go back to sleep with him staring at her all night.  
  
The stolen oar hauler rumbled and thumped over the rough terrain of Syria Planum. A lumbering behemoth with a dozen wheels and double backhoe type loaders front and back. It still contained half a load of iron- nickel oar. The driver had left his rig unattended during off loading. He would not make that mistake again. The hauler was not exactly built for a high- speed chase but it had a longer range than anything else Mr. Wang's associates could lay their hands on. From a distance no one would have suspected it contained two fugitives and half a dozen members of the Free Mars movement. Four men with big guns sat in the back with Ian and Anna. The laundry truck had delivered then to this bunch of alleged freedom fighters, or maybe they were just terrorists.  
  
The view through the dust caked windows was of a flat, sandy plain. Occasionally huge volcanic mountains would pass in the distance. The absence of plate tectonics made for a total lack of mountain ranges, at least in the usual Earthly sense. Volcanoes formed huge mountains. Far larger than anything ever seen on Earth. Due to the lack of crustal movement, volcanoes stayed put in one spot and grew for millions of years. Canyons and gullies formed great networks cut into the sandstone. Water had flowed here, but it was millions, perhaps billions of years past. The vast sterile spaces seemed unnatural, even to Ian. Despite the best efforts of scientists and scholars no trace of life had ever been found. But minerals were found, in vast amounts. If not for mining and the money it brought, there would be no great cities. Maybe, no permanent settlement at all. Now, Mars had become an extension of the corporate culture of Earth. A new playground for money and power. The demand for  
cheap labor and the desire of governments to be rid of the poor and disenfranchised had created a 'second class citizen' status for most Mars dwellers. Second class in the minds of the corporate honchos anyway. Someday that was going to change, someday soon.  
  
After three hours of riding in silence, Ian's curiosity was threatening to overwhelm him. Finally he could stand it no longer. "Where are we going? When will we arrive? Do you work for Garret Wang?" Each inquiry was met with increasingly hostile glare from the one who seemed to be the leader. "Shut your face, Andy!" "There is no need to be rude..." Anna pulled him back into the seat and held him hands. She whispered, "Ian, please be quiet. We don't want to antagonize them. Our fate is entirely in their hands."  
  
He paused to consider her words and the worry in her eyes. He nodded and fell silent. The armed men gradually nodded off until all were sleeping except for one, "Conner", left on duty to watch them. Anna was looking somewhat pale and drawn. She had not eaten in nearly 24 hours and it was taking its toll. Ian noticed her condition and quickly realized she was not well. He didn't want to risk further wrath by waking the sleeping terrorists, but he had to do something. "Sir?" No response, probably due to the headphones Conner was wearing. "You", he reached for the man. Conner, misinterpreting the gesture, drew back, and raised his pulse rifle. Ian raised his hands, "No, no", he cried, gesturing to Anna leaning weakly against the dust covered window. "She is not well, she needs food and water. Do you have any rations? Protein paste, susta bars, anything you have."  
  
Conner glanced at the woman. She didn't look too good. He called to the driver in an unfamiliar language. A tattered backpack was thrown into the passenger area. Conner gestured to the bag with his rifle. "Take it." Ian tore into the bag and found three pouches of water and several carbo bars.  
  
Anna drifted off to sleep after her meager meal. His internal sensors told Ian they had traveled 278 miles from Euridice in a North Easterly direction. There was no settlement for several thousand miles in this direction. So, where were they headed? 


	6. Part 6 - The End

EURIDICE  
  
Part 6  
  
Author: Joyann (joyann@psnw.com)  
  
Disclaimer: Read part 1!  
  
Rated: PG  
  
*Last installments of Euridice, enjoy!*  
  
The battered, dust covered loader limped through the Martian dunes like a wounded mammoth. For the last half-hour the engine had been making the most godforsaken howling noise. As they crested yet another of the countless, barren dunes the great beast began to shake violently. It slowed to a crawl, gave an earsplitting screech and stopped completely.  
  
The ensuing commotion woke Anna, who had been sleeping fitfully for some time. The headman, at least she assumed he was the leader because he had the biggest gun, shouted orders at his subordinates. Orders mixed with a liberal amount of the most creative cursing Ian had ever heard. It was probably not a good idea, but he filed away some of the better ones for future reference. When you worked the streets you never knew what might come in handy.  
  
The men donned breathing units and scrambled two at a time into the tiny airlock. "Hey! What about them?" One pointed in Ian and Anna's direction. "Where do you think they're gonna go?" The headman's laughter was muffled as he slid the breather over his face. They were left alone in the suddenly silent carrier compartment. "Oh great!" Anna wailed, "What next?" It had been a really rotten couple of days. "They can't just leave us here..."Ian held up a hand. "Shh..." He was searching for their helmet com frequency. "I need to hear what they are saying." The signal faded in and out. "Broken stabilizer...gaskets...call base..." Another voice. "Shoot em...more trouble than it's worth" "No! After all this...we'll gonna get paid" "far...be here in two hours" "air left...90 mins!"  
  
The hostile group sat around the compartment glaring at their guests/captives. They were arguing back and forth about the seemingly hopeless situation. Even with what was left in the breathers, they would still run out of oxygen by 30 minutes before the rescue party arrived. The conversation had descended into deciding who would be shot to conserve air. Ian politely raised his had and tried to present his idea. They ignored him, of course. After several fruitless minutes of waves and "excuse me", he was getting irritated. People never listened when they were supposed to! He let out an ear piercing whistle, a skill he had only recently mastered, and was guaranteed to stop all conversation in its tracks. The head man, or 'Captain Hook' as Anna had taken to calling him [privately, of course], turned Ian's way. "WHAT!"  
  
"I have an idea to save everyone, if you will just listen for a moment." "Yeah, what's your big plan andy?" Ian explained, as simply as possible, that the gas used in hydraulic lift canisters could cause almost instant loss of consciousness without any serious lasting effects. (There had been a big problem recently with kidsbuying it on the street to get high) "Yeah, so?" They were as smart as they were charming. He tried again. "If you are unconscious you use less oxygen." Captain Hook's face curved into a wicked grin. "The andy makes sense. If we live through this, there will be enough money to finance Free Mars for two years!" Another man spoke up, "What if he kills us while we are asleep?" "If he kills us, then who is going to rescue them?" That shut him up. He turned to Ian, "You know where to get this stuff?" Ian nodded, "In the compartment surrounding the destabilizing multiphasic actuators..."The Captain cut him off, "You go out and show them what to do."  
  
Ian sat looking at all the unconscious forms surrounding him. It seemed his plan had worked. Now, if their alleged protectors survived they might just make it out of this. Although their destination was still as much a mystery as it had been when they had gotten into the laundry truck early this morning. Anna stirred, blinking, she sat up and saw the world spin around her. "Oh" she moaned, "My head". Ian's voice floatednearby, "Dizziness is a side effect of the gas. You will feel better soon." He held a packet of water for her to sip. She tried opening her eyes again. Ian was sitting next to the bed, holding her hand. Bed, wait a minute where...? "Where...are we?" He explained that she had been unconscious for four hours. A transport from the rebel camp had picked them up in the desert and delivered them to a waiting shuttle. They were now on their way to Olympus.  
  
She lay, staring at the ceiling, willing her eyes to focus. The gas had nearly done her in. She closed her eyes and willed herself to sink into the mattress. One eye popped open, no such luck. This must be what it felt like to be run over by a truck. Throbbing head, cotton mouth, that wonderful death-warmed-over feeling. A three day bender, but without the fond memories.Well, she did have some fond memories of the last three days... If you didn't including the parts about being drugged, gassed, and hit over the head. God only knew where her father was. Consortium goons had taken him, was it only three days ago? Since then she had taken a whirlwind tour of the domed industrial city of Euridice, above ground as well as below. Taken an insane ride across the desert in a stolen oar hauler. Nearly died several times, and oh yeah, met the most wonderful man(?). Person?...humanoid, sentient being, android? The term android just didn't describe Ian properly. She would have to talk  
to him about that. Surely they could come of with something better, more suitable. In the mean time, sleep was a good thing, yes a very good thing.  
  
Now they were on their way to the Pleasure-Dome of Olympus. Garret Wong's home away from home. Garret Wong, head of the Southeast Asian Crime Syndicate. Few could hope to match the wealth and power wielded by the consortium, but Mr. Wong was one of those few. Anna remembered his visits when she was a little girl. He and Dr. Latham went way back. Garret Wong owed her father, but daddy had never asked for anything. Now, he had asked. Arrangements had been made to shelter Anna and himself where the Consortium could never find them. But that help had come too late. Dr. Latham hated to admit he needed help and maybe he had waited too long. No matter, it was past. The Consortium was holding Dr. Latham hostage. Mr. Wong would see that Anna was taken care of and all efforts exhausted to find her father.  
  
Ian did not like his fate being in the hands of others. He had been left in a small guest room while Anna was sleeping. They had led him away when she had fallen asleep. The crew would not answer his questions. Most of them spoke Mandarin and although his Chinese was flawless they ignored his pleas. These were not the same people they had been traveling with. Not the 'unregistered' or ragtag terrorists. The shuttle was expensively decorated and the crew wore crisp black and red uniforms. Oddly, the uniforms bore no insignia of rank or other identifying marks. He had been provided with refreshments and a change of clothes. These people were very polite but they would not speak to him. A sharp increase in the pitch of the engines told him they would soon be landing.  
  
Soon after landing, a crewman brought Ian to the infirmary. Anna was sitting up and eating a little. "How are you feeling?" He sat on the edge on the bed and took her hand. "Like somebody else used my body to go to a wild party and I don't remember a thing." She smiled, "No, really, better than I was". A young woman handed Anna a change of clothes and pointed in the direction of the restroom. She followed close behind until Anna stopped her and pulled Ian into the restroom behind her. He helped her undress and get into the shower in silence. "Can you manage by yourself?" he sat on a small stool in the corner. "Yes, but don't leave me, ok?" When she finished, he wrapped her in a towel and held her close. "Ian?" "Yes", he whispered, "I don't know what is going to happen to us, but I want you to know something. You are very special and don't ever let anyone make you feel bad about what or who you are." When he looked down, her eyes were filled with tears. "You are very special,  
as well. Do not worry, Anna, you will be safe and they will find your father."  
  
They were transported to a lush penthouse on the top floor of the highest building in Olympus City. Nestled at the base on the solar system's largest extinct volcano, Olympus Mons, Olympus nearly lived up to its namesake. Classical art and architecture were everywhere you looked. It was a site to behold, beautiful, in a 'Las Vegas' sort of way.  
  
Anna attacked a platter of fresh fruit while Ian investigated the penthouse. An elegantly dressed woman in her seventies had shown them to this room. The view from the broad expanse of carbon nanoplex glass was stunning. If the dome ever failed, the penthouse could hold its own pressurized atmosphere.  
  
A vast semi circle of city spread out before them. Beyond the city's edge the towering bulk of Olympus Mons rose out of sight. The solid wall of brown, red and gray stone gave a sense of permanence to the ethereal domed city at its base. Olympus was dwarfed by the volcano in the way a fly was dwarfed by a skyscraper. Its true scale boggled the human mind. 324 miles across, it covered an area the size of the pre-Consortium State of Arizona. Soaring 16 miles into the thin atmosphere, it was bigger, by far than any feature on Mars or Earth. Four mile high cliffs surrounded its base. Looking up from ground level, one could see only sheer cliffs and rusty sky. At first it seemed an odd place for a large city, until one realized it provided vital shelter from the furious storms that lashed the Martian plains. More than one settlement had been abandoned because supplies could not be brought in regularly due to massive storms that could last for months at a time.  
  
Anna was stretched out on the couch looking like a satisfied feline after her first real food in days. Ian discovered they were locked is as securely as if in a prison cell. Not that they had anywhere to go. The eComm terminal was not functional, no surprise there. He had not checked with the CPB since Saturday night, three days ago. It would have to wait bit longer.  
  
After several hours of plush captivity, Garrett Wong finally made his entrance. He was smaller than she remembered. Older and grayer but still a handsome man. He spoke flawless English despite having been born in Old Singapore. He had risen through the ranks of the Tongs or Chinese Mafia. Through a campaign of assassinations and alliances he has become the most powerful man in Asia by the time he was forty. He was not someone you could cross and live to tell about it. But he was also a man of his word.  
  
He called Anna by the pet name he had used when she was a child. It meant 'precious one' in old Cantonese. He gave her a quick embrace and a peck on the cheek. "So, this is the one I have heard so much about." He turned to Ian and looked him up and down. Ian reflexively extended his hand, "Ian Farve, good to meet you." Mr. Wong looked amused, after a moment he took Ian's hand. "Most impressive, you are a police man I believe?" "Yes, an investigator with the CPB." "Tell me how you like your work." It was more of a command than a question, but Ian did not want to offend their host. He briefly explained about the CPB and David and how they had worked together for nearly a year. It was a challenge, more because of the people and the politics than the actual work though.  
  
Anna was becoming restless with the pleasantries. "Have you heard any news about Daddy? Where is he? Is he ok? Where are we going?" Mr. Wong smiled, "All in good time little one. But there will be no we. You are going to stay in the safest place I know. I can hide you, but you alone." Anna looked from Ian to Mr. Wong and back, "But... what about Ian? He will stay with me, at least until you find Daddy!" "I am sorry little one I cannot hide him. Others will know if he is here. Others are watching. You will be just another girl in a city of thousands, but Mr. Farve, he is unique!" He turned to Ian, "You must leave as soon as possible. My people will see to your safe passage back to Earth." Anna hung her head in defeat. Deep down she knew he was right. She threw herself into Ian's arms.  
  
A young man quietly entered the room and whispered something to Mr. Wong. "Mr. Farve, it is time for you to go. Your transport will arrive momentarily." With that, he left them alone. "Ian, thank you for everything. Without you I would not be alive. I don't want you to go, but I know you have to. I won't say goodbye, we will see each other again." Her eyes filled with tears and she clung to him. "Anna, I don't know what to say. I will miss you and I will not stop looking for your father. Be careful and I will think of you often. I'll find a way to contact you." He looked into her tear stained face, "Is it supposed to hurt like this?" "What?", she whispered. "Leaving someone you care about." She nodded, and kissed him a final time.  
  
An endless field of stars passed the window of the Moon bound cargo transport, but he did not see. The engines droned their soft heartbeat but he did not hear. All his thoughts were with her. Her life, her safety, her face, her beautiful tear streaked face. She had been through enough, at least now she would be safe. Safe in her gilded cage, away from those who would use her to force others to do evil. It was better this way, he kept telling himself that. He had changed transports five times in an effort to evade any pursuers. After three cargo transports and two oar haulers, he would be arriving on the Moon in about 12 hours. At times like this he wished he could sleep. There was nothing to do but look at the stars and think. Think about her, about his report, about his apartment and seeing David again. He really wanted to talk with David, to tell him everything. He knew David got irritated at him sometimes but he was the closest thing Ian had to a best friend.  
  
THE END 


End file.
